Today, we’re pleased to announce that three people will receive prizes, but sorry that more than 600 others have been disappointed along the way. We’ve tried to make our decisions as fairly and diligently as possible, but disappointing news isn’t nice to receive or deliver. We take comfort in knowing that with so many brilliant entries, the authors who didn’t get the breaks in our competition this year will no doubt have success placing their stories in other markets.

Congratulations to all of the above, including Nathan, who becomes our first multiple prize winner after winning first place last year. They will receive their prize money this week. In a close contest, Hillard Morley clinched first place with her short story “A Little Folding of the Hands,” a subtle story remarkable for its nuanced exploration of interior process from a third-person perspective. It has an exceptional unity of voice and subject matter and caused the judges to draw comparisons with the stories of Katherine Mansfield. Hillard is our first ever UK-based winner, so football fans will know what we mean when we say that at least something is coming home this summer! We are thrilled that we will be publishing “A Little Folding of the Hands” on this site in the coming days.

Thank you again to everyone who entered – judging hasn’t been easy, but it has been a treat.